Buffalo Sabres: 3 players who have something to prove in the final weeks

Vinnie Hinostroza

Hinostroza made strides when he returned from injury but he’s since had minimal effectiveness in April, failing to record a single point. Throughout his NHL career, Hinostroza has identified as a journeyman more than a permanent fixture.

And like most journeymen out there, he is one of those players whose skills are too fringe to stick to an NHL roster long-term. Instead, Hinostroza is one of those players that will fill the lower lines of a team that needs a stopgap for a season.

While he has shown interest in remaining with the Sabres, he will also need to ward off the younger talent rising through the AHL ranks if the organization decides he’s shown enough to stick around. So far, he has been streaky, putting up solid performances before disappearing for long stretches.

While Hinostroza has proven time and again he can stick to an NHL roster, he has also shown that he’s nearly always the odd man out. And since the Sabres have some remarkable puzzle pieces rising through the ranks, he may yet again find himself in an eerily familiar situation.

(All statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)